For the last 17 years, the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival has billed itself as an internationally-acclaimed event nobody wants to miss. People from every corner of the planet flew to Playa del Carmen to have an absolutely magical experience. Seeing the best musicians, enjoying amazing rhythms, and living the charming ambiance by the Caribbean Sea.
This year things will be different. In this edition, people can attend from anywhere in the world. The Festival will take place online, allowing anybody to join. The reason for this is to take care of the health of the audience, the musicians, and the staff.
Riviera Maya Jazz Festival 2020
Big shoes to fill, but big artists on the roster
Take a look at this year’s promo video below. Indeed, the festival looks great, and the bar is high for an online concert. However, these musicians are in to deliver an outstanding show.
Agenda of the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival
Friday November 27
The first group hitting the stage will be Aguamala, a Jazz band from Playa del Carmen. Since 2004, they have risen to become one of the best Jazz projects in the Mexican scene. About their style, their music combines Jazz with a fusion of rock and funk. Last, they have released 7 albums so far, plus a few collaborations with other artists.
After Aguamala, this Friday’s performance will feature Xamán. If we were to describe Xamán’s music, we would say it’s an ethnic jazz fusion. Parallel to Mexican History of mestizaje and cultural mix, Xaman fuses Afro-Caribbean rhythms with Meso-American instruments.
Saturday November 28
On Saturday, the festival inaugurates the concert with Elite Band. Their particular mix has the genres of Funk, Soul, R&B, and jazzy touches. Regarding their repertoire, most of it consists of original pieces. However, they also perform covers of the best of the best Jazz musicians of all time.
The second musician of the night will be Diego Maroto and his quartet. Maroto himself is a tenor sax, with influences from blues, swim and hard bop. The other musicians that accompany him are part of the Mexican Jazzistas 3rd generation. Namely, Pancho Lelo (Guitar), Luri Molina (Contrabass), and Gabriel Puentes (Drums).
Sunday November 29
Last, but not least, on the third day we will have Memo Ruiz Bolero Flamenco. This band combines the bolero and flamenco with Latin American popular music, making a mix many would believe impossible.
Closing the festival, the Pepe Hernández and Paco Rosas Quintet are delivering their mixture of Jazz Fusion, Progressive Rock, Funk and Blues. Both Pepe Hernández and Paco Rosas are well known within the Mexican Jazz scene as brilliant solo artists, with a vast career behind. To illustrate that, their contributions are in more than 1,000 albums.
An opportunity like no other
Until now, there has not been a chance to attend this wonderful Festival from home. As this year’s circumstances are exceptional, there will probably not be another. In consequence, this is your opportunity to see them, fall in love, and visit Playa next year for the regular version by the beach.
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Learn about the vibrant life in Playa del Carmen with our Unforgettable things to do in Playa Guide.
